Archive
Twins notebook, 7/17
Twins put Baker on DL, promote Diamond
“He was really unsure whether he was going to be able to go in this start,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “He thought he could pitch, but he didn’t know the ramifications after he pitched, how that would come into play, if he’d be really sore and end up having to miss starts after it.”
In place of Baker, Anthony Swarzak will start the first game of Monday’s doubleheader against the Indians. He was originally scheduled to pitch the nightcap of the twin bill.
Diamond, a lefty who is 4-8 with a 4.70 ERA for Triple-A Rochester this season, will make his Major League debut in Game 2 of the doubleheader.
A 2010 Rule 5 Draft selection by the Twins, Diamond will take the 40-man roster spot once occupied by Eric Hacker.
“We’ll give [Diamond] a chance to kind of regroup, sit around here, see what it’s all about, get a feel for a few more things,” Gardenhire said. “We’re facing the Cleveland Indians and he’s being thrown into a fire here, so we’ll see how he does. He’s a nice-looking young pitcher.”
Baker was scheduled to make his first start since July 5, when he exited the game after just five innings due to a right elbow strain.
Instead, he’ll be on the DL until at least Friday with the move retroactive to July 7.
“He wanted to pitch, but it just wasn’t going to work out,” Gardenhire said. “He was very unsure of how it was going to turn out. You can’t have uncertainty out there.”
Span will stay in center field upon return
MINNEAPOLIS — When he returns from the disabled list, Denard Span will be the Twins center fielder.
When asked if he had given any thought about how the outfield would look when Span returns from the DL after being sidelined for six weeks with a concussion, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said he would not take away Span’s starting spot due to the injury.
“Denard’s our center fielder,” Gardenhire said.
“You’re talking about a personality here that feels he belongs in center field, too. You have to weigh a lot of things. He’s earned his right to play center field.”
With Span out, rookie Ben Revere has done an excellent job filling in, both at the plate and in the field.
Gardenhire indicated he would like to keep Revere in the lineup, but would not do so at Span’s expense.
“We’ll just let it play out, see what happens,” Gardenhire said. “If I have to make changes I would — but I’d talk to Denard about that [first] — to keep everybody’s bats in the lineup. We’ve already seen Revere can play right field, too.
“So, if I have to keep his bat in the lineup, which I would love to, it’s not going to be easy, but we’re just going to have to figure it out. Whatever makes us win, whatever makes us go. Right now Ben’s been making us go.”
Gardy, Nishioka let it ride for World Cup
MINNEAPOLIS — With their respective nations squaring off in the FIFA Women’s World Cup final, manager Ron Gardenhire and infielder Tsuyoshi Nishioka made a friendly wager on the game.
There is no money riding on the game between the United States and Japan, but the loser of the bet will have to wear a T-shirt of the winner’s choice.
“It’s a very exciting day for both of us,” Gardenhire said. “Our women versus his women. Pretty neat.”
The Twins skipper said he already had a shirt in mind for Nishioka.
“I wish I could trash talk in Japanese right now, ’cause he’d hear it all,” Gardenhire said. “He’s going to have to wear, ‘I love American women.’ I don’t know what he’s got for me.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
Twins place Nathan on DL, call up James
MINNEAPOLIS — Twins reliever Joe Nathan was placed on the 15-day disabled list after Saturday’s 1-0 win over the Angels with a right flexor muscle strain, suffering his first real setback since having Tommy John surgery last year.
The results will also be sent to Dr. David Altchek, who performed Nathan’s surgery last March.
“We obviously hoped he wouldn’t have any problems, but I wouldn’t say it’s uncommon to have a setback here or there with what he’s going through,” head trainer Rick McWane said before Saturday’s game. “He’s getting better, but it’s just a matter of him getting over the hump.”
McWane and Nathan said that no one was especially worried about the setback, they just wanted to be cautious with Nathan, who is only 14 months removed from the Tommy John surgery he underwent just prior to the start of last season.
Nathan said he expects to take some time to allow his arm to heal with the treatment he’s been undergoing this week before resuming a throwing program. After that, he said he thought he would go down to Fort Myers, Fla., and throw in a couple extended spring training games.
“Just get back to what worked so well for me then,” Nathan said. “Using more fastballs, get my extension where it needs to be. I feel like since Day 1, I’ve been competing and just trying to put up zeros any way I could.
“I kind of got away from what I’ve always done well. So, I’ve been throwing a lot of breaking balls, a lot of curve balls, and that’s not really going to help me with my extension so much. That’s almost hindering me from getting extended when I try to throw fastballs.”
Nathan was thinking positively about going to the DL, saying he thought it was “going to be a good thing for me when I do get back and finish the rest of the season.” As far as a timeframe for his return, Nathan said he is prepared for anything from 10 days to a month.
Anything longer than that, he said, would be unexpected.
He added that while you never want to go on the disabled list, the decision comes a little differently for him with the way the Twins have been playing through the first two months of the season.
“If we were closer to the front of this pack and competing, it would be a lot tougher for me to go on the DL,” Nathan said. “But with us scuffling right now, I think it at least makes the decision easier to go in, take care of this and make sure we do the right thing for me going into the rest of the season and on into next year.”
James will join the Twins in time for Sunday’s series finale against the Angels.
In 19 appearances with the Red Wings this season, James posted a 1-1 record with a 1.57 ERA, allowing just five earned runs over 28 2/3 innings of work. James also recorded 37 strikeouts against nine walks.
“He’s pitched well,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Chuck James has thrown the ball well.”
In the past, James had some success with the Braves as a starter. Over four years with Atlanta, James went 24-19 with a 4.61 ERA in 55 starts. He allowed 153 earned runs in 298 2/3 innings, striking out 223 with 120 walks.
He also posted a 2.12 ERA in nine relief appearances with the Braves, allowing four runs on 10 hits in 17 innings.
James’ addition to the roster gives the Twins a wealth of left-handed options in the bullpen, as he joins fellow lefties Dusty Hughes, Phil Dumatrait and Jose Mijares, who could rejoin the club as soon as Monday in Detroit. Asked about it after the move was announced, Gardenhire said he just wants the best pitchers available, whether they’re lefties or righties.
“It’s an interesting situation, I’ve never had that many lefties out in the bullpen,” Gardenhire said. “[Rochester pitching coach] Bobby Cuellar said that Chuck James gets them out. It’s not always pretty, he’s up in the zone a little bit, but he knows how to get them out. He’s pitched in the big leagues, so hopefully he’ll continue that here.”
Jordan Schelling is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
A Schelling For Your Thoughts 